


An Articulate Dispute

by AmberJeans



Series: Past The Present [7]
Category: Shadowrun, Shadowrun Returns (Video Game), Shadowrun: Hong Kong
Genre: Dialogue-Only, Fanart, Gen, M/M, Run gone wrong, cornered
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:20:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24427879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmberJeans/pseuds/AmberJeans
Summary: Everyone's ready to point fingers when a run goes wrong.“Oh believe me he'll get his once we’re out of this mess! Bastard’s at the top of my shit list. Still don't know why we didn't bring Is0bel; the matrix is her beat, not his.”“Racter cut her off at the pass once he heard about the drone. I think he scares her.”
Relationships: Duncan Wu/Blink
Series: Past The Present [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1303652
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	An Articulate Dispute

**Author's Note:**

> *Big thank you to Circuit Breaker for the artwork!*

“You just had to do it!”

“...Why yes, Mr. Wu, a firefight where we’re outgunned is a _fine_ time for a diatribe.”

“When we lost the paydata because of your stupid magic, got legions of guards gunning for us...”

“Here's an idea: blame Racter! It was _his_ idea to go for the drone.”

“Oh believe me he'll get his once we’re out of this mess! Bastard’s at the top of my shit list. Still don't know why we didn't bring Is0bel; the matrix is _her_ beat, not his.”

“Racter cut her off at the pass once he heard about the drone. I think that, on some level, he scares her.”

“I understand that; fragger gives off some weird vibes. Think that magic lightshow’s got enough charge to knock everyone out on your end?”

“That'd be ideal but it doesn't have to. I just need to disorient enough so that I can help you deal with your end.”

“Good plan. On your mark.”

“Now!”

\-----

“Kris! Racter! Where the hell were you!?”

“Getting those fragging bastards off of us. I think we had to go through at least five squads before we got free. Good job Blink, you know, setting off every alarm at once. Thought you'd taken care of that.”“Oh frag off! I didn't take that drek from Duncan and I ain't taking it from you. Besides. _Racter_ , I thought you'd taken care of the alarms!”

“In my defense, the matrix is not my area of expertise. I thought you were aware of that when you agreed to bring me along.”

“And yet you volunteered to come; knowing you’d inevitably get in the way. Don’t think I missed how excited you got at that experimental drone. Alarms were flashing right in front of you and you did nothing but stare and gawk. Frag it man, where the hell are your priorities!? If I’d known you were going to be this much of a liability, I’d have told everyone to leave you on the ship!!”

“Unless I misremember, Gunshow, you were in there with me as I was, quote, ‘staring and gawking’. As was Point Blank. And neither of you bothered to comment on the obvious flashing lights, despite the obvious warning. Tell me, was it that hard to look at the flashing lights and make your own observations?”

“Duncan! Racter! That’s enough! We got what we came for so leave it! Blink, what do you see out there?”

“Seven patrol vehicles, with five coming in fast. Easily two or three dozen badges on the ground floor. Oh, and several Knight Errant detachments coming in high.”

“Yeah I can see those. Okay change of plans, we’ll go out the tunnels from the basement. Racter, see if you can pull up the building schematics, I think I remember seeing some of them there. Blink, think you can _zip_ us down the elevator shaft?”

“I can try but it won’t be smooth. Inertia’s a bitch.”

“What's that mean?”

“It means we should brace ourselves. When Blink saved me in Yau Tsim Mong he _zipped_ me away and we didn't stop moving when we became solid again. No sudden stops; no loss of momentum. We just kept going until we hit something and passed out.”

“...And lived! And if it's all the same to you I'd rather take pain and aches than a one-way trip to the organ grinders. Now let's roll!”

\--

“Watch your six Blink! There's more coming out from the pillars!”

“Watch your own back Kris; I count at least three over there you missed! Now back into cover so we can - aahh!!”

“Blink!”

“Duncan, focus! Racter, have Koschei lay down some covering fire while I get Blink!”

“I will get right on that.”

“What about you Blink. Are you good?”

“Could be better but, yeah, I’m solid!”

“Just focus on healing; we’ll take it from here! Racter go support Duncan; try to get him to focus on clearing a path. I'll make sure our Mage doesn't do anything else stupid!”

“I will comply!”

“I see where Duncan got his protective maternal instinct! I said I’m fine!”

“Yeah, the long trail of blood down by your feet says otherwise. There's a hailstorm of bullets you can go running through if you’d like to test your luck! Racter, we could really use an exit!”

“Just south, through that door, is an access tunnel. We merely need to take out those guards first.”

“Good. On my signal send Koschei; I'll be right beside him. Blink, think you're up for helping Duncan provide us with some cover?”

“Just be quick about it! The elevator shaft took a lot out of me, and that was before I got shot.”

“Got it! Racter, get ready to act on my mark-”

“Don't bother Kris, I got this. Racter, get Koschei clear! I’m about to blow those fragging bastards right to hell!!”

“Duncan wait! Stick to the plan!!”

“Fire in the hole!”

__

“That… could've gone better...”

“That’s a bit like saying water’s wet. Why couldn’t you stick to the plan, Duncan?”

“I must've missed the last two plans going to drek right out the gate. Oh, wait -I didn't. I was there when it happened!”

“So you’re just going to go off and do your own thing whenever something goes wrong?”

“Something always goes wrong Blink; I’d have thought you more than any of us would be aware of that. Gotta learn how to improvise if you want to survive.”

“Do not forget that we were able to come out with not only our lives but the prototype drone as well. The plan may have gone sideways but very few plans tend to survive beyond the first few moments.”

“See? Even Racter gets it! Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. What’s important is to get through, never mind _how_.”

“Yes well… I’ll give you that. You make a valid argument Mr. Wu, but don't think I'm going to just let this go. I’m not one to brook insubordination, even from you. You just wait until we get home.”

“I'll be looking forward to it…”


End file.
